Josh Doig targeted for English Premier League move from Sassuolo

Josh Doig, the Scottish defender currently playing at Serie A side Sassuolo, has emerged as a target for clubs in the English Premier League. Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have both been linked with the left-back, who has quietly built a reputation as one of the more intriguing young fullbacks in Italian football.

From Edinburgh to Serie A

Doig broke through at Hibernian, where his performances were impressive enough to draw interest from Arsenal and Chelsea back in 2021. Neither of those deals materialized, and instead Doig made the move to Hellas Verona in July 2022 for a fee north of £3 million.

Sassuolo came calling in January 2024, paying approximately €6 million plus add-ons to bring him from Verona. That fee represented a significant markup on what Verona had paid Hibernian, a sign that scouts across Italy were noticing his development.

In the current 2025/26 Serie A campaign, Doig has featured in 14 league matches for Sassuolo.

Premier League suitors circle

The interest from England isn’t the only game in town. Venezia, the Serie B club, lodged a bid of approximately €4.5 million, roughly £3.8 million to £3.9 million, for the Scot. The gap between Venezia’s bid and what Sassuolo paid for Doig is notable. Sassuolo shelled out €6 million plus add-ons just over a year ago, so accepting €4.5 million would mean taking a loss.

Scotland’s new option at left-back

Doig earned his first senior cap for Scotland in June 2025, a milestone that came later than some expected given his club-level progression. For a player who was attracting interest from two of England’s biggest clubs at age 19, the wait for international recognition was lengthy.

The Venezia bid, while likely too low to succeed, serves as a useful price floor. It tells Premier League clubs that there’s active demand for Doig, which could either accelerate their decision-making or drive up the eventual fee.

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